Charles s



U. S. WATSONx REGISTER.

No. 26,639. Patented Dec. 27, 1859.

CHARLES S. WATSON, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,

ALBERT S. ASHMEAD, AND E. \V. CARR, OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. VATSON, of Philadelphia, in the State ofPennsylvania, have invented an Improved Register for Cars, Omnibuses,&c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a correct descrip tionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makingpart of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement within a smallportable outer case, of a number of concentric annular plates withmechanism for moving the same, and for announcing audibly each movement,for the purpose of registering any succession of numbers that it may bedesired to record, such, for instance as the number of passengers thatenter an omnibus or car, the number of packages in a cargo, themeasurement of grain, coal or other commodities, or any other similarseries. The instrument is as portable as a common watch, and may becarried in the pocket, or attached by a pin to the coat or other portionof the dress, and yet, withoutexceeding the dimensions shown in thedrawings, may be made to keep a record of numbers as high as severalmillions.

In the accompanyingdrawings, the same part is marked by the same letterof reference wherever it occurs.

Figure l, is a perspective view of the instrument; Fig. 2, is a similarview of the back of the same; Fig. 3, is an elevation showing theinterior of the instrument, the outer case; bell and inner front platebeing removed; Fig. 4 is a similar elevation, the inner front platebeing in place and the position of the bell indicated by dotted lines;Fig. 5 is a rear view of the finger piece, plate,

of the front and spring pawl; Fig. 6 is a view of the inner side of thefront plate, showing the posit-ion of the pins that operate the dogs;Fig. 7 is a rear view of the dial plate with the dial cover thrown up;Fig. 8 is a view of the inner side of the dial plate, the annular platesbeing removed to show the rims or divisions between the spaces in whichthey work. Fig. 9 is a central section of the bell and its post orstandard. Figs. 10, 11 and 12 views of the three annular plates. Fig. 13is a front elevation of a modified form of the instrumentin which allthe annular plates are notched and the dogs and REGISTER.

26,689, dated December 27, 1859.

bell hammer operate in a somewhat different manner.

To enable others to make and use my improved register, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

The outer case A is made of metal, and is of the shape and size requiredby the character of the instrument. It has a convex projection in front,which covers the bell within. This convex part is perforated with holesa, to allow free egress to the sound of the bell. On the lower part ofthe front of the instrument, are the thumb piece B, and finger piece C,by which it is operated; the thumb piece being stationary, and thefinger piece moving in a slot, D, in the case, provided for thatpurpose.

The back of the case consists of the dial plate E, and its cover F,which is attached to it by a hinge c. The cover F, shuts down upon thedial plate, and entirely conceals it from view. A staple f, on the lowerend of the dial plate E, receives the slotted end of the cover, whichmay be secured by a padlock to prevent inspection. There is a pin (Z, onthe back of the cover, arranged and operated like an ordinary shawl pin,the oflice of which is to attach the instrument to some convenientportion of the dress.

The dial plate is perforated with numerous holes 2', i, and a throughwhich the numbers on the annular plates below can be read. The drawingswhich are of full size represent an instrument not much larger than acommon chronometer.

Removing the outer casing, we discover the bell O, attached to its postI, to which it is confined by the screw Z). The bell post is screwedinto the center of the inner front plate G, see Fig. 4. On the frontface of this plate, is spring II, which acts against the plate K, towhich finger piece C, and spring pawl 0 are attached. ()n the inner face(Fig. 6) of this plate, are placed two pins, 79 and p, having the properposition and projection to come in contact with the inclined side of thedogs a and 7*, respectively, when those dogs'are in the posit-ion toengage with the pins on annular plates N and M.

The front plate G, being removed, the interior of the instrument ispresented to view, as shown in Fig. The back or dial plate E is dividedhere into three annular spaces acted upon by the operator,

by the three projecting rims g, h, is and the central nave '1; (see alsoFig. 8). In these spaces are placed three annular plates L, M and N,separate views of which are seen in Figs. 1-0, 11 and 12. Plate L, isnotched on its outer periphery; but the inner plates have pins 00, w,&c., in place of notches. Springs t, t, &c., are placed on the faces ofthese plates which, by acting against the inner face of plate G, keepthe plates in place without interfering with their revolutions. Theplate L has a dog 0" pivoted to it, and a similar dog 8 is pivoted toplate M. The external rim 9 has a break or opening at top to admit thetooth or catch 17?. of the handle of the bell hammer is (see Fig. 8). Ithas also an opening at bottom to admit the spring pawl 0 (see Fig. 3).The inner rims h and j have breaks or openings at the bottom only, forthe admission of the dogs 1 and s.

K, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, is a plate to which the finger piece G, and thesprlng pawl 0, are attached. It is seen in front view in Figs. 3 and 4,and in rear view in Fig. 5. At its upper right-hand corner it receivesthe end of spring H, on plate G, which forces it, and the finger pieceG, to the right, and away from the thumb piece B. Attached to this plateand forming part of it, is a guiding are g which works in contact withthe outer surface of outer rim 9, being held in place by pins 2. To theinner surface of this arc, is attached the spring pawl 0, whose free endpasses through the lower opening in rim g, and engages the teeth, ornotches, on the periphery of annular plate L.

The bell hammer is is attached to an elastic handle Z which has a toothm upon it, so shaped and placed as to engage the teeth of the outerplate L, by the action of spring Z, pressing it inward. The springhandle Z is attached to the outer rim 9 at the point at.

The rear faces of the annular plates L, M and N, have numbers out uponthem, corresponding with the number of teeth or pins on the plate. Thesenumbers are inspected through the holes i, i, i, &c. of the dial plate,Figs. 7 and 8. One hole for each plate is suflicient. The numerousperforations of plate E serve merely to make it lighter.

Operation: The operation of the instru ment is as follows :-All theplates L, M, and N, are set at the zero point before beginning. onisethe instrument. Before being the finger piece G, is at the greatestdistance from the thumb piece B, as in Fig. 1. When in this position,the spring pawl 0, is engaged, (see Fig. 3,) with a notch on the outerplate L. The tooth m, of the spring Z, is similarly engaged with anothernotch of the same plate, (Fig. 3). When finger piece 0, is drawn towardthumb piece B, the pawl 0, draws the plate L, the length of one notch inthe same d1- rection. At the same time, the notch in contact with toothm, causes that tooth to slide up its inclined face, and retract the bellhammer. When the plate L, has moved the length of one notch, the toothon, falls into the succeeding notch, and releases the bell hammer,which, obeying the impulse of the spring Z, gives a forcible blow to thebell. A stroke of the bell thus announces, and accompanies each advanceof the plate. The finger piece 0, is now released, and flies back to itsoriginal position, by reason of the action of spring H; and pawl 0,engages the succeeding notch of plate L. Each advance of this platepresents a new figure to view, at the hole in the dial plate throughwhich it is read. When the outer annular plate has made an entirerevolution, the dog 1', comes opposite the opening in the rim h, and itsinclined side strikes against pin 10', on the inner side of plate Gr,(Fig. 6). It is thus forced to engage a pin on plate M, and move itforward a distance equal to that between two of its pins. When theplate'M, has made one entire revolution, the dog 8, is forced to engagea pin on plate N, by the operation of pin 20, on the inner side of plateG, and move plate N, forward one division. Each of these concentricannular plates being divided into twenty divisions, and each of theinterior plates being moved one division only by an entire revolution ofthe plate exterior to it, it is clear that one revolution of plate Lindicates the number 20; one revolution of plate M, indicates 20 20:400;and one revolution of plate N, indicates 20 20 20:8,000, which is thelimit of the present instrument. It is obvious, however, that byincreasing the number of concentric annular plates, or the number ofteeth in each, the number registered may be increased almost withoutlimit. I have an instrument but little larger than the one shown in thedrawing, which registers 4,000,000.

The instrument I have described is capable of some modification withoutdeparting from the principle of my invention; and I have represented oneof the modifications which I have made, in Fig. 13. The parts in thismodified instrument, which correspond in function, though not in form,with those of the instrument first herein described, are marked by thesame letters as in the first described instrument. It will be seen, onreference to this figure, that all the annular plates are notched, andthat the pawls r and s, &c., are operated, not by pins, but by springswhich force them to descend through openings in the upper part of therims, and engage the notches of the annular plates. The bell is, in thisinstrument, struck on the inside; and the clapper is a lever of thefirst class, operated by a separate spring w, and having the tooth m, onthe short arm of the lever. Though somewhat more expensive than theother, I have found this instrument notches or pins of the annularplates and the to operate Well in practice. openings in the rims throughwhich the dogs Having thus fully described my invention operate, asdescribed. What I claim and deslre to secure by Let- The abovespecification of my said inven- 15 5 ters Patent is tion, signed andwitnessed this sixteenth l. A portable alarm register constructed day ofNovember A. D. 1859. and operating substantially as described.

2. The dogs on the annular plates in comv CHAS bination With the pins onthe inner front lVitnesses: 10 plate as described. C. BRAZER,

3. The combination of the dogs with the D. T. HASSINGER.

